Chicken Chili with White Beans
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This chicken chili is a hearty, healthy dish you can feel good about eating.
If you’re looking for a lighter alternative to my classic chili recipe, this chicken chili is just the ticket. It’s made from scratch, loaded with veggies, and packed with protein-rich chicken and beans. But don’t worry—it’s still hearty and satisfying, even for the biggest football fanatics in your life. The ingredient list might look a bit long at first glance, but don’t let that scare you off. It’s mostly spices, and the active cooking time is only about 30 minutes, though it simmers on the stove for nearly two hours to develop that deep, rich flavor. And here’s a tip: be sure to use regular ground chicken, not the lean variety, for the best texture and taste. For a tasty variation, check out my favorite turkey chili recipe too!
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need To Make Chicken Chili With White Beans
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step-by-Step Instructions
To begin, heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or nonreactive soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and red bell pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring to prevent garlic from burning, about two minutes more.
Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the ground chicken, chili powder, cumin, coriander, red pepper flakes, oregano, cayenne pepper, and salt.
As the chicken cooks, use a wooden spoon to break the meat into very small clumps; cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, chicken broth, and sugar.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered with lid ajar, for about one hour, stirring occasionally. Stir in the white beans and simmer, uncovered for about 50 minutes more, or until the meat is tender and the flavors are well combined.
For a soupier chili, you can add additional water. For a thicker chili, simmer uncovered until the desired consistency is reached. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Note that this chili is moderately spicy; feel free to adjust to your liking by increasing or decreasing the cayenne and red pepper flakes.
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Chicken Chili with White Beans
This chicken chili is a hearty, healthy dish you can feel good about eating.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 cups chopped yellow onions, from 2 medium onions
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 6 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 2 pounds ground chicken (preferably not labeled "lean")
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (omit for milder chili)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 (26 oz.) cartons Pomi chopped tomatoes or two (28 oz.) cans chopped or diced tomatoes
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 (15 oz.) can Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large nonreactive pot over medium heat. Add the onions and red bell pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring to prevent garlic from burning, about two minutes more.
- Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the ground chicken, chili powder, cumin, coriander, red pepper flakes, oregano, cayenne pepper, and salt. As the chicken cooks, use a wooden spoon to break the meat into very small clumps; cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, chicken broth, and sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered with lid ajar, for about one hour, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the white beans and simmer, uncovered for about 50 minutes more, or until the meat is tender and the flavors are well combined. For a soupier chili, you can add additional water. For a thicker chili, simmer uncovered until desired consistency is reached. Taste and add more salt if necessary.
- Note: Pomi boxed tomatoes are available at some regular grocers, Whole Foods and gourmet food shops.
- Note: A nonreactive pot is made of a material that will not react negatively with acidic ingredients. Stainless steel, enamel, glass and nonstick (as long as there are no scratches in the nonstick coating) are all safe to use. Do not use cast iron or aluminum.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The chili can be frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat it on the stovetop over medium-low heat until hot. (The chili will thicken up some when frozen, so you’ll likely need to add some broth when reheating.)
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (1 3/4 - 2 cups servings)
- Calories: 374
- Fat: 17 g
- Saturated fat: 4 g
- Carbohydrates: 29 g
- Sugar: 9 g
- Fiber: 9 g
- Protein: 31 g
- Sodium: 1110 mg
- Cholesterol: 111 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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For my family, I would lessen or omit the cayenne pepper. Definitely would consider the cornbread, since it would balance out the lighter chili. Jenn, I do love how you make those pre-emptive suggestions… such as being carful with purchasing regular ground chicken. Or that Pomi chopped tomatoes are worth the purchase. I balked at buying a red pepper for $4.99 or $5.99/pound. I finally found red peppers for $.99 each at Trader Joes. Will freeze the leftovers that will hopefully save me from one of my more scattered days. I also prepped the spices in a mason jar over the weekend. Anything that I can prep ahead, I just adore… xox
This is such a great chili recipe. I used ground turkey. My husband was hesitant to try it since it wasn’t beef chili. However, he went back for seconds and is asking me to make it again!
Love your website- very attractively presented with clear and detailed instructions. Thank you!!
Absolutely the best chicken chili. I did use the lean ground chicken breast and it was still great. My husband and teenage daughters all loved it. So excited I found this just as fall is kicking off. Will be a staple through the cold weather season.
Great all purpose chicken chili recipe. I substituted a beer for the chicken broth because that is what I usually do. I think it adds flavor….and beer is good for the Super Bowl right? but it is only September. ?Another winner of a recipe that is highly adaptable. Thanks for a great recipe
Is this chili spicy? I have a 3 and 4 year old that can’t eat spicy food.
Hi Tanisha, A little, yes. I would omit the cayenne pepper.
So amazing. I was concerned this was going to be an average chili. Boy was I wrong. Even with 100 degrees outside it was worth it. From drought stricken California. Hello!!!
Absolutely fantastic! The flavors were perfect with just the right amount of spice to please everyone. I made this for company along with your cornbread (Savory Cornbread with Cheddar and Thyme) and it was great for a relaxing and hearty dinner that was still healthy! Thanks so much!
Another winner! Made this exactly as directed and my husband and I loved it. Don’t even miss the beef. Definitely a keeper.
I am trying this tomorrow and I just have two questions.
1. Does this recipe work for a beef chili(for future reference)?
2. Can I make this in a slow cooker(and do you have any modification suggestions)?
I just found your site and I have made a list of things to make. Next up is the Curry Chicken!!!!
Hi Maui, Unfortunately, this recipe won’t work for beef chili (but if you can hold off a few weeks, I’ll be sharing a wonderful beef chili recipe soon). As for the slow cooker, I honestly don’t think it’s worth the trouble because you’d need to follow the same process, and as is it cooks very quickly on the stovetop. Hope that helps 🙂
This recipe is now in my rotation of dinner meals – it’s great as a leftover meal, and is so easy to prepare. I once used Chipotle Chili Pepper and it added a nice spicy kick…. I usually halve the recipe since it yields quite a bit, and use a whole red pepper (instead of halving it for half the recipe) for the nice color. When I have time, I also bake your cornbread muffins which complements the flavor. Thanks for all the great recipes!